LA TIN TRANSLA TIONS OF ARABIC

LATIN TRANSLATIONS OF ARABIC
MEDICAL LITERATURE

Scholars from all over Europe flocked around the school of translation in Toledo which was established by Bishop of Raymond (1125-52) on the pattern of Bait al-Hikma of Baghdad. Medical writers in Arabic have been enumerated by Ferdinand Wusterfeld (1808-1899) as three hundred, but other writers give a larger number. The first Latin translation of Ibn-Sina's Qanun was made by Gerard of Cremona, the greatest of Toledo translators, on the instruction of Frederick Barbarossa. He also translated ar-Raz'i's 'Al-Hawi' and the surgical part of Abu'l Qasim's 'At-Tasrif'. He translated more than seventy books from Arabic. Another eminent translator was Michael Scott (1236), who, being the pupil of Ibn-Rushd in Spain, popularized Arabic medicine in Britain. Ibn-Sina 's works were also translated by John of Seville. The Kulliyat of Ibn-Rushd was translated by Gundiselvi, who also translated Ibn-Sina's 'Ash-Shifa', 'Urjuza', and 'Kitab an-Nafs' (Anima). Arnold of Villanova also translated Ibn-sina's works. Constantinus Africanus (1020-1087), as mentioned previously, translated several Arabic works under his own name. The movement of translation also continued in Sicily. Faragnt, a Sicillian, translated' Al-Hawi of ar-Razi and Taqwim al-Abdan', of Ibn-Jazlah. Michael Scott was another eminent translator in Sicily. Harman the Dalmatian in France also translated Arabic medicine in Latin. Lorrain was commanded by Otto, the great King of Germany in 953 C.E., to go to Spain in order to study Arabic and bring back the scientific manuscripts written in Arabic. It was through these translations that the medical sciences and surgery were introduced into Europe and these served as text-books in European universities for several centuries. The European universities situated on the borders of Spain, such as, Bologna (founded in 1113 C.E.) and Montpelliere in France (founded in 1181 C.E.), were the first to start popularizing the Spain, such as, Bologna (founded in 1113 C.E.) and Montpelliere in France (founded 1181 C.E.), were the first to start popularizing the teachings of the Arab physicians and surgeons. The library of the latter contained all the translations of the Arab writers. The teachings and influences of the Arabs, according to C. Elgood, spread through these two centres to every medical school in Europe. Ibn-Sina's and ar-Razi's text books were taught at Montpelliere until 1555 C.E., while at the University of Loraine up to the middle of the seventeenth century, and lectures on Ibn-Sina continued at Brussels University in Belgium until 1909. The curricula of Padua (founded in 1222), Palermo in Paris (founded in 1110) and of Oxford in England (founded in 1167), which consisted largely of the Arab medical text-books, and Arabic sciences, according to C. Elgood, was instrumental in the rise of European Universities. The Orientalists, who deny any Arab influence credit Salerno University in Italy as being instrumental in the Renaissance of Europe and forget that the Latin translations of Arabic works had already enlightened European minds. Until the tenth century, the monasteries were the only places of learning and knowledge in Europe, where magic, superstition and astrology dominated all learning. The Salerno School, close to the borders of Sicily, itself came into existence in the tenth century.

Doctor Gutheria makes it clear that Constantinus Africanus (d.1087), who translated Arabic books in his own name, was associated with the Salerno School. The fact is indisputable, that by the end of the tenth century, Arabic science was established in Lorraine and other parts of Germany, Switzerland and Central Europe. In the British Isles, Arabic sciences were established by Michael Scott, Adelaid of Bath and Hobert of Chester, who had studied in Spain and had translated Arabic works which formed a large part of curriculum of European Universities. Roger Bacon himself, founded his 'Optics' on the basis of Ibn-Haitham's work, claiming it as his own for which he was awarded a doctorate!